Production of a concentrate of true maple flavor



Patented June 5, 1 934 PRODUCTION OF A CONCENTRATE OF TRUE v MAPLE FLAVOR Leo Skazin, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. g,

No Drawing. Application March 31, 1933,

Serial No. 663,855,

9 Claims. (Cl. 99-11) This invention relates to aprocess for the manably ethyl alcohol is added to maple syrup or ufacture of a concentrate of true, natural maple the like to,incorporate the flavor and cause the flavor. sugar to crystallize out. The crystallized sugar The concentrate of true maple flavor can be is filtered oil and the remaining liquor containused with advantage in its cream manufacture, ing the maple flavor may be evaporated to re- 50 confectionery, soda fountain products, soft move the volatile addition agent and part of drinks, baking and other related industries. the water and thus produce a concentrate of the A method heretofore proposed for the prepadesired true maple flavor. ration of maple flavor concentrate consists in -By varying the density of the maple syrup,

10 precipitating sucrose from maple syrup as barium and/or the proportions of alcohol or other volatile 65 saccharate, filtering off the precipitate, neutralliquid added, the proportion of sugar eliminated iz'ing the excess of barium hydroxide with sulmay be rendered more or less complete, andthus phuric acid, filtering off the second precipitate, the degree of concentration ofthe maple flavor and fi al y o en rat ng the filtrate which conmay be varied. The following table illustrates the tains the maple flavor of the r a map e effect of the addition of various proportions of 7 syrup. ethyl alcohol to a maple syrup or solution of maple This process is complicated and requires the sugar of a density of 78.0 Bx. (specific gravity use of heavy chemicals such as barium oxide 1.40.) and sulphuric acid and the application of comparatively high temperatures, both of which tend Cor-100mm 75 to destroy or alter to a certain degree the deli- Percent of tion of cate maple flavor. 100 parts 535,5 3 The object of the present invention is to prosyrup product vide a process whereby a concentrate of true maple flavor may be simply and economically o 1 so produced without impairment of the natural flavor. The invention contemplates the addition 421 1 I of a readily volatile liquid which is miscible with g-g maple syrup or like maple product, which at the 150.0 9010 1010 same time, without reacting chemically with the 233-3 g5 sugar, greatly decreases the solubility of sugar in the resultant liquid, and which retains the If a high concentration of maple flavo in e maple flavor i l ti product is required, the maple flavor concentrate m; process of th i ti may b applied may be treated again with the addition agent and to maple sap, partially concentrated maple sap, more Sugar P y reheating the Process 90 maple syrup, maple sugar, special maple prodone or more times a very highly concentrated uots of intense maple flavor, or a combination maple flavor product ay e ta nedof any two or more of these maple products. It The P oc s o the invention may be advantais preferable to select for treatment maple prodgeously carried out in accordance with the followucts having a relatively low content of invert ving more detailed description. 95 sugap After selecting a suitable maple product, prefer- Cane sugar (sucrose) is practically insoluble ably, but not necessarily of intense maple flavor in absolute ethyl alcohol. 100 parts of 70% aland low invert sugar content, it is brought to a cohol dissolve about 13.0 parts of sucrose, wheresuitable density, say between 70.0 to 90.0 Bx. as 100 parts of water dissolve 195.8 parts of but preferably 81.0 Bx., by concentrating maple 100 sucrose. (Solubilities given are for 17.5 C.) It sap or syrup, by dissolving in water or syrup the has been found, however, that when maple syrup required quantity of maple sugar or in any other or the like is treated with ethyl alcohol, the madesired way. The hot syrup of suitable density ple flavor remains in the solution, whereas sugar thus produced is transferred to a water acketed crystallizes out. Substances like acetone and container of the character of asugar crystallizer 105 some other alcohols, such as methyl alcohol or equipped with a stirrer, or of the LaFeuille type, mixtures of such substances, have substantially and the temperature is brought to 78 to 50 0., the same eflect as ethyl alcohol. preferably about C. While agitating the In accordance with this invention a volatile syrup, warm ethyl alcohol of a strength up to 55- liquid of the character mentioned and preferis gradually added. The total amount of duce crystallization or the mixture may be con-v tinuously stirred until there is a spontaneous formation of sucrose crystals.

The alcohol is preferably heated to 40 to 50 C. before it is added to the syrup or mixture in the crystallizer. The agitation is continued during the process to facilitate the crystallization of the sugar, to prevent formation of lumps and to insure uniform distribution of the addition agent.

After addition of alcohol has been completed and crystallization of sucrose has progressed sufhciently, the mixture is cooled by admission of cold water'to the jacket of the crystallizer, or otherwise, to increase the crystallization of the sugar which is less soluble in cold solution than in warm. A granular precipitate is thus formed which consists substantially of sugar, wlile the flavor is left in the alcoholic solution.

The crystals are then separated from the solution by a centrifuge or the like and are preferably washed with small amounts of the alcohol to remove flavor which may be left in them. Sugar may be readily recovered from the crystal mass which is mostly sucrose. The filtrate is concentrated, preferably in low vacuum pans, to recover the alcohol or other volatile addition agent, which, after dehydration, may be re-employed in the process in a cyclic manner. The filtrate is preferably concentrated to a density of 70.0 to 80.0 Bx.

It will be apparent that maple flavor concentrates of any desired strength may be produced by applying the process in two or more steps instead of one, as described. In this case the flavor concentrate from one treatment is re-treated as often as desired with the addition agent. The multi-step process effects economy in the amount of addition agent required.

The term maple syrup as used in the ap pended claims is intended to include maple sap, maple syrup, per se, or any aqueous solution con.- taining maple sugar.

I claim:

1. A process for the production of a concentrate of true maple flavor which comprises the tion'of the process defined.

step of treating maple syrup with a volatile addition agent, which is miscible with the syrup and which reduces the solubility of sugar in the mixture so produced.

2. A process for the production of a concentrate of maple flavor which comprises mixing with maple syrup an addition agent miscible therewith and adapted to cause separation of sugar from the solution but which does not react chemically with sugar, allowing sugar to crystallize out and removing the same from the solution.

3. A process for the production of a concentrate of true maple flavor which comprises adding ethyl alcohol to maple syrup, agitating the mixture during the addition of the alcohol and while crystallization of sugar proceeds, and separating the sugar crystals from the .solution.

4. A process as defined in claim 3, wherein the crystal-free solution is concentrated by evaporation.

5. A process as defined in claim 3, wherein successive quantities of alcohol are added to the syrup to crystallize out the required amount of sugar.

6. A process for the production of a concentrate of true maple flavor comprising mixing ethyl alcohol with maple syrup of a density of 81.0 Bx, continuing agitation until sugar crystallization substantially ceases, removing the 105 sugar crystals and concentrating the remaining solution.

7. A process as defined in claim 6, wherein the solution is cooled after the final addition of alcohol to increase the crystallization of sugar 110 and the concentration of the flavor in the solution.

8. A cyclic process for the production or a concentrate of true maple flavor comprising mixing with maple syrup a volatile addition agent miscible therewith and which does not react chemically with sugar, agitating the mixture, removing the sugar crystals formed, recovering from the remaining liquor by evaporation-the addition agent and returning it for use 120 in the initial stages of the process.

9. A process as defined in claim 8, wherein the concentrate produced by evaporation of the addition agent is subjected to at least one repeti- LEO SKAZIN. 

